Mr. Speaker, the premiers of Manitoba and Saskatchewan will be in Ottawa tomorrow demanding that our producers be put on a level playing field with our international competitors.

In Europe 56% of a wheat farmer's income comes from the government, while in the U.S. 38% comes from the government. These subsidies are killing our family farmers and are the root cause of the farm income crisis.

Why is the Prime Minister refusing to lead a campaign against European and U.S. subsidies?

Mr. Speaker, I have mentioned that problem each time I have met with these leaders. I have said that the subsidy levels for the farming communities in Europe and the United States cannot be sustained and are self-defeating. They should play by the market rules as we are doing in Canada. I have said that time and time again.

However, the Reform Party does not even want to help the farmers at all. Rather than provide money to help the farmers, it has proposed to cut $650 million from the department of agriculture alone.

Mr. Speaker, farmers see the lack of effort from the Prime Minister and the results that have happened internationally. Europe's borders are closed to our beef and canola. U.S. protectionism is rising. Both European and U.S. subsidies are up.

The Liberal government has failed. The Prime Minister's lack of concern over the farm income crisis is an insult to Canadian farmers.

I ask again, why is the Prime Minister failing to lead a delegation against European and U.S. subsidies?

Mr. Speaker, in a recent article in the respected magazine Nature , three British scientists were quoted as saying that governments, like the Canadian government, that approved genetically modified foods simply because they were similar to traditional ones, were taking a simplistic and not very safe approach.

Since even the pro-biotechnology scientists are saying that it would be better to look more closely into the effects of genetically modified foods, is the minister going to take the necessary steps?

Mr. Speaker, I would like to assure the hon. member that all genetically modified foods must be submitted to Health Canada in advance. A team of experts examines them all and carries out a complete evaluation, in order to ensure that genetically modified foods are as safe as foods already on the market.

The city of Toronto has designated the last week in October as Epidermolysis Bullosa, or EB, Awareness Week, to bring attention to this group of rare and genetic skin diseases. What is the government doing to facilitate and encourage research and development into the care and treatment of Canadians suffering from EB?

Mr. Speaker, I would like to first acknowledge the hard work done by the member for Parkdale—High Park to increase public awareness of this disease. EB is a rare and devastating genetic disease for which, unhappily, there is no cure. I think the answer lies in research.

For that reason we are creating the Canadian institutes for health research. I expect shortly to be tabling legislation in the House for that purpose. Over the next two years the government will be doubling the amount of money spent by the Government of Canada on health research. Through these efforts we hope the day will come when this devastating disease is wiped from the face of the earth.

Mr. Speaker, I do not think the minister understands all he knows about the Nisga'a treaty.

The Bloc Quebecois has indicated it will support the treaty because it provides the kind of self-government powers it would like for Quebec.

I am going to ask the Prime Minister directly if he is prepared to give the same kind of self-government powers to the Parti Quebecois and Lucien Bouchard as he is to the Nisga'a under the treaty, yes or no?

Mr. Speaker, in the front page of the Regina Leader-Post and the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix on Monday, the finance minister is quoted as saying that his government has promised $900 million in new aid to desperate farmers. He said “We announced that $900 million five or six months ago. That money doesn't refer to what Ottawa put up for AIDA”.

Was the finance minister misquoted? Was he mistaken? Was he playing politics? Or, is there a reason to believe that he is changing his view on the crisis facing prairie farmers?

Could the finance minister please confirm today if there will be $900 million in new aid for farmers, yes or no?

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member knows full well that every year the Canadian government puts $600 million a year into the national safety net. A little less than a year ago we put an additional $900 million in to support the farmers. In co-operation with the provinces, we are looking at ways in which we can build on that and will continue to do that.